Night Terror
by Soulimpared
Summary: A new enemy has risen and truth becomes the weapon of choice. Zim realizes his work was not for Irk but rather for a new reason, he along with Tak he must rid the universe of his new enemy and maybe even succumb to a new feeling. ZATR Reviews!
1. Night Terror

Zim sat in quiet contemplation as he drummed his fingers together in hope his intelligent mind would be able to conjure up a plan. His large alien eyes stared at the monitor but his mind couldn't focus. His plans were not working and he begun to believe the Tallest were becoming unmotivated by his constant failures.

The house was quiet due to the fact his robotic drone was recharging in a corner of the lab but even so the sounds of mishaps had ceased and he was alone to bask in his mind. How annoying.

"Computer, do a count as to how many plans I've come up with in the past year." He called out. He waited for a moment before hearing, "34".

He nodded slowly knowing this number was accurate but what he couldn't understand was the difficulty revolving around it. He was Irken; an Invader. He should have been able to conquer the planet on his own.

"GIR! Stop recharging! I'm heading ground level and I need you to come with." He spat turning to the tube like elevator that operated nearby.

"YES SIR!" he heard GIR say, "Recharging complete…."

The sound of metal hitting the floor became audible to Zim. As he turned his robot companion lied motionless on the floor.

"GIR? I said to follow me not die." He said approaching the tiny robot. He knelt down and tapped it. It giggled.

He tapped it again. GIR giggled again.

"GIR, cut out this nonsense and meet me in the kitchen." He said storming into the elevator.

He reached the kitchen through the abnormally placed toilet but once he reached the level he couldn't help but sense the eeriness that crept over him. The feeling someone was in the house other than him and GIR made his antennae shiver.

"IT'S QUIET!!" squealed GIR as he rocketed from the garbage can. Zim grabbed the tiny robot as he bounced off the wall.

"Shut up you! Someone's in the house. I need you to run your scanning program I installed in you last month. See if that Dib-monkey is in here or his scary sister. Do it now!" he whispered.

"YES SIR!"

GIR raced to the center of the kitchen and stopped before activating the program which sent his head in a revolving motion. Zim stared intently hoping to reveal his nemesis but instead his eyes widened with fear as GIR's head simply fell from his body.

"Master, behind you!" he squealed. Just before Zim could turn he caught a glimpse of a pair of red cat eyes.


	2. Truth

**Chapter 2: Truth**

**A/N: Excuse the rather insufficent summary but I was running rather late for something and didn't have enough time to properly fix that. However, please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think. lol. I'm trying my best to stay in character but take into consideration that sitations and other factors do tend to warp character traits. Enjoy. :)**

Zim could only make out the faint tapping of switches and the hiss of machines functioning in the background. His head rang with pain which was concentrated at his left temple as if he had been hit with a large piece of metal. There was no time to idolize the pain, he thought. Looking up he could tell his surroundings had changed and was no longer in the precious confines of his base.

"Master!" squealed GIR as he rocketed to Zim who immediately swatted him away.

"GIR! Where are we? Did you forget to pay the taco people again?" he hissed as he took a survey of his environment. The monitors were definitely Irken and so were the letters that sprawled across their shallow screens. This didn't make sense nor did the pair of crimson eyes that pierced the darkness. Wait a moment, he knew those eyes…

"KITTY!" yelled GIR as he waved his arms over his head in excitement. He went to strangle it with lethal happiness but was dismayed when it seemingly traversed to Zim with extreme agility. The tiny yet devious looking cat sat at his feet waving its plush tail.

"So… it's you…" he whispered. The presence of another individual became evident by the disembodied footsteps that echoed like an ominous force.

"Why so gloomy… Zim?" a feminine yet wicked voice projected. Zim turned to see a slightly taller Irken pressing her silhouette into the dim light that only seemed to highlight her aura of apprehensiveness.

Tak…

Zim crossed his arms obviously not happy with where the situation would be turning. His seriousness increased knowing she would ultimately prolong his plan for invasion. Last time he managed to get rid of her but now this was getting personal. He was failing too often to take over Earth and now with her in the picture there would be sure to be repercussions if he didn't act.

"Look, whatever your planning it won't work. I'm not going to waste my time trying to deduce what your attempt to gain my mission would be." He said.

With that Tak knew his demeanor had changed since last time. He looked the same but even Zim would grow wise to his own faults. Things were going to get difficult

"I bet you are but unfortunately that would have to wait. Actually, you should be thanking me right about now."

"Thank you? No, thank you is what I say to GIR for cooking those horrible and putrid creations knowing every well they could potentially lead me to my deathbed. I have nothing to say to you."

He turned to scan for an exit but not before feeling a chilled hand on his shoulder.

"Zim, give up on this planet."

"What? What kind of trickery is this? How dare you suggest, I, Zim, relinquish my duties as an Invader?" he snarled.

"Do yourself a favor and ditch this planet."

"I knew you were here for the mission!"

"I'm not."

"YOU'RE LYING!!" he yelled.

"Just do it. You have no idea how naïve you are. You don't even get why no one's heard of this planet."

"It's a secret mission. The Tallest handed it to me themselves."

"It's a fake. I found out this mission was a hoax."

"Hah, your fibs are nothing to me. I shall take my leave."

"Stop being stubborn and listen to me. The Tallest are not exactly what you think they are. They don't care about us! I'm saying this because their sending someone to get rid of us!"

Zim no longer could hear her rambling. It was bad enough she had to kidnap him but he wasn't going to allow any more obscurities get in his way. He was going to develop a fool proof plan once he reached the base.

"Let's go GIR. Remind me when we get back home to add a flesh eating barrier around our home." He snickered.

Tak never felt inferior to anyone but the sight of a smaller Irken turning his shoulder away from her almost crushed any pride and sincerity she held. She came all this way after being whipped into space to try a second time to steal his mission but that ended the moment she intercepted a transmission. This transmission alone changed her insights. It changed how she viewed herself and how she viewed her race and armada. She was crushed once she viewed it. She wasn't going to relive it through him.

She sprinted at him and tackled him to the floor.

"GIR! Defensive mode! GIR!" Zim yelled. Unaware to him GIR was sitting with Mimi sharing with her several muffins he made earlier that day (the poor thing had no idea what she was nibbling on).

They wrestled for several moments before ceasing. Tak had Zim pinned under her, her weight over his stomach and her hands clasped over his above his head. The moment ceased from hostility to just plain awkward as they stared at one another. Tak blinked as her curved antennae lowered as a gesture of embarrassment but Zim only chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" she whispered. Her voice was low and heavy.

The comment seemed to snap Zim out of it. He quickly slid away from her grip and stood brushing the dust from his uniform.

"Nothing."


	3. A New Enemy, A Trust Not Bound

**Chapter Three: A New Enemy, A Trust Not Bound**

**A/N: Enjoy :) Tell me what you think!**

Dib was uneasy, he sat perched upon a tree holding his binoculars up to his eyes but was dismayed to witness no movement within the alien base. He'd been waiting for nearly four hours.

"Where is he?" he whispered as he dug his hand into a bag of artificial confection. Zim hadn't appeared in school which sent a red flag in Dib's overly large head. Zim would not miss a day, he was insane and critically naïve at points but the success of his mission counted on his ability to get information from Skool. Something was up.

"Dad wants you to come home…" hissed a voice from below. He glanced down to see Gaz.

"That's going to have to wait. I'm under cover ops. I'm surveying the enemy." He responded.

"Don't make things difficult for me. Besides I saw Zim being carried out by the girl that used to go to our Skool." She said turning to leave.

"That girl that used to go to our Skool? You mean the one that hated Zim? What was her name… Tak?"

Gaz nodded.

"I think they were going to her place" She added.

"What?"

"At least that was what she told me." She said.

"You talked to her?"

"Yeah?"

"What else did she say?"

"Nothing else I was too busy finishing up the last level of Pig Invaders."

Zim eventually found himself walking down a city street towards his home base later that evening with GIR walking at his side. He tried his best not to take in what she said but there was a surprisingly level of sincerity in her voice something his Pak wasn't able to completely comprehend. Nonetheless, he would have to continue his plans without any further interruptions. Even if it meant another Irken was becoming a nuisance.

An hour later he found himself at his base. He was going to confine himself until he reached a plan and there was nothing that could stand in his way.

"Zim! Get down!"

Zim turned but was too late to completely dodge the attack from above. A massive projectile rocketed him several feet away and slammed him against the pavement with brute force. He regained composure only to be hit again and again. He felt his consciousness slipping and once he felt the projectile rise above him to commit another strike he prepared for the worst.

Only… the worst never came.

He lifted his head and to his amazement he saw Tak standing over him straining to keep the massive piece of metal from colliding with the ground.

"Soldier, what you think you're doing?" spat Zim as he got to his feet, "This was your perfect chance to take over my mission."

Tak struggled but held enough strength to turn to him and say, "You didn't hear me before? I'm not here for that."

"You will not get my thanks." He said.

"I don't plan to." She said.

Zim tapped his Pak and a pair of spider-like legs hissed from its depths slowly assisting the female Irken with the massive object. Then, from down the street a light snicker emitted. The way the figure bellowed with laughter was unlike any cynical laugh Zim had ever encountered. It was pure evil, filled to the brim with hatred and darkness that it sent shivers through his antennae. This was the first time he felt fear.

The figure came closer but its identity would not cease to reveal itself. The figure was draped from head to toe with a black garment. It showed no signs of movement but easily traveled through the air with black smoke emitting from its base.

"Just who in the name of Irken are you?" Zim spat. The figure only chuckled more but never made an attempt to engage in a conversation. Tak on the other hand was scared beyond anything. Her eyes were wide and her antennae were extremely low. She had seen what this enemy could do. She had seen the mortal destruction just one of them could cause. These monstrosities had many names; Death Dealers, Night Stalkers, Anti-Ultimate's and many other names she heard on her travels. The Irken Empire was especially cautious of them and never interfered with them but someone must have called in a favor.

"Hey! I _asked _you a question. I _command _you to answer. Answer to Zim!" yelled the small Irken. Tak nearly felt her stomach (or whatever equivalent to that for Irkens) drop and wrapped her palms over Zim's mouth.

"He did not mean that, Superior. As of now we will take our leave." She stuttered as she tried to swing Zim in the opposite direction.

"Halt…"

She obeyed.

"Tak, what are you doing?" hissed Zim as he tore her hand away from his face.

"Saving your hide as well as mine." She hissed back.

"You are the two rouge Irken Invaders. Your 'Tallest' have asked my comrades and I to rid of you. You seem to be causing too much of a stir than they anticipated."

Zim turned around in alarm.

"Our Tallest?! What do you mean 'rid' of us? They sent me on this mission themselves! If there's anyone to rid of it's this false Invader over here who's been trying to steal my mission."

"Zim!" exclaimed Tak.

The enigmatic figure turned to the female Irken.

"No more words. Extermination I guarantee will be excruciating ."


	4. Turn of Events

**Chapter Four: Turn of Events**

**A/N: Heey yall, hope you like this chapter spent a lot of time on it and would appreciate reviews. Always lookin to hear the fans. Anyways, enjoy. **

Zim blinked as the figure approached but just when the story seemed to be nearing its end the enemy doubled over in pain.

"Zim?" asked a voice. Behind the crouched Death Dealer stood Dib with Gaz (who was crunching away at her portable game system).

"Ha! I had a feeling you were behind this, Dib! Call off your little hologram so I may get back to conquering your filth." Zim said. Tak couldn't understand what was going on. The very thing she avoided all her life was now cringing in pain. What was causing it?

That was it…

Tak made a run toward Gaz and grabbed the small gaming system.

"What are you doing?!" bellowed the small girl.

"I'll make you one even better." Tak promised. Tossing the game system it landed squarely at the enigma's feet. With a howling screech it retreated painfully limping away.

"What did you do?" Zim asked purely intrigued.

"It must be the waves that device is emitting."

"Why are we still standing here, let's go!" called Dib.

An hour passed by and soon all four of them found themselves in the living room of Zim's base.

"What in the world just happened?" asked Dib staring nervously out the window.

"I'll tell you, we nearly got killed by a Death Dealer." Answered Tak as she tossed plates and cups across the floor clearly nerved by the whole event.

"A Death Dealer? Well that sounds cheery but that doesn't explain why they're here."

"They're here to kill me and Zim." She said drawing a chair at the dining table. Being that closed to such an entity and living to tell about it was way too much for one afternoon.

"I don't believe a THING this Irk has to say!" screamed Zim as he sat himself on the couch. Tak had it. She tossed herself from the chair and leaped onto the couch where she nailed a blow right across his face causing his disguise to fly from his face. The room quieted as both Dib and Gaz stared intently between the confrontations of the two Irken Invaders.

"WHY ARE YOU MAKING MY LIFE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT!?" she screamed gripping his collar tightly within her grasp.

"Unhand me you Spoch."

Tak's lavender eyes widened immensely.

"I think that was a low blow." Whispered Dib to his sister who nodded. Tak released him and stared with pure rage.

"How dare you call me that?"

"Oh, get over it. Don't take it seriously."

"You know how vile that word is on Irk. How dare you address me like that in front of humans?"

"You make it seem likes it's a death sentence. Zim has no time for your menial issues. I'm on my way down to create my plans. Show yourselves out if you don't mind." He said walking towards the trash can. The female Irken felt herself bubble with more anger. How could he be so stubborn? She traveled all this way to help Zim but he wasn't even listening to her. Every good she tries to do is backfired with negativity. She tried to be an Invader, those plans have died. Now she was trying to become a helper… was this going to be another attempt in vain?

"Zim, I saved your life today and all you can do is given me poop. I thought we were brethren. Born on the same planet."

Zim stopped in his tracks.

"Tak, come with me." He said. She sensed a change in his tone which extinguished the anger she felt.

"Hey, what about us?" asked Dib frantically waving his arms in the air.

"Just sit there and wait, human."

He obeyed.

Tak followed Zim into the bowels of his base unaware of what she was in store for. He kept quiet; his eyes averted from her which disturbed her quite a bit. They reached the central computer where he took a seat on one side of the panel and motioned for Tak to take the opposite seat. She did but for the first time in her life, Zim's eyes didn't hold the criminally insane demeanor but it was serious and totally out of his character.

"I know you're here to take my mission." He stated.

"I AM NOT!"

He lifted his finger to his lips and gestured her t quiet.

"I'm being watched."

Tak's heart sank, "You were acting this whole time? You knew about the Dealers?"

He nodded.

"I was alerted by a rouge Invader about this plan. I didn't believe it at first but things changed. I upgraded GIR with a new defense system but it didn't seem to work. I was also alerted that you were also a target on your way here."

"Why did you call me that nasty word?"

"You were annoying me. Besides that, I hoped that my plan of ignoring your help would ultimately leave you no choice but to leave. So you didn't have to waste your time with me."

She could tell he was worried about her.

"So you changed your mind about the Tallest?"

"Don't even bring that up. I don't want to think of it. Anyway it seems we're in this together."

"You're not as crazy as I thought."

"Yeah, I guess you can say I have a soft spot for pretty Invaders."

"What?"

He blinked.

"I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you did. Did you just call me a pretty Invader?"

Zim's antennae widened and lowered. He was clearly unable to handle the situation.

"No, no I did not. You must be hearing things." He said feeling an odd heat rush to his head.

She smiled.


End file.
